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‘One corporate detective says most of the big firms stay well within the law but there are a host of smaller one-man bands who will bend the rules.’

‘In this epoch of lawlessness, all warring nations have bent the law to suit their interests sometime or another.’

‘You bent the rules, even if you didn't actually break them.’

‘Playing the game fairly means not bending the rules because you feel sorry for someone or cheating because you think your opponent doesn't deserve to win.’

‘Some 60 per cent agreed bending the rules is ‘part of the fun of playing games’.’

‘If rules are set then follow them, places that have designated smoking areas are already one step closer to a complete ban and by bending the rules you are not helping yourself or fellow smokers.’

‘They're under the impression that throwing more money at the problem, and trying to bend the laws to suit their needs, will keep them afloat.’

‘These people… In their desire to get a majority, the rules are bent, the laws broken, institutions are destroyed.’

‘So to accommodate the applicant he bends the rules.’

‘In every walk of life, on the roads, in restaurants, in tax avoidance, rules and regulations are routinely bent.’

‘We were caught by matron but she bent the rules a lot over Christmas and turned a blind eye.’

‘But he told the congregation, which included the Lord Chancellor, that it did not mean bending the rule of law.’

‘He hasn't just bent the rules in his stupidity but gloated as to the outcome which goes against all common principles of acceptable sportsmanship.’

‘We all bend the rules sometimes at work, which is what I've done.’

‘Indeed, the tabloid press last week bent the rules still further.’

‘Crimes such as taking something from the office or asking a friend to bend the rules might involve only minor damage, but set up a vicious cycle.’

‘He feels safe doing so because he knows that while he might have bent some rules, he never broke them.’

‘That makes bending the rules attractive to many farmers, who are expected to wear most of the costs of conservation on their own.’

‘In his eyes, he did not fail; he was conspired against and was therefore entitled to compensate for his disadvantage by bending the rules.’

‘But though the evidence now is all but conclusive, one cannot help but wonder whether the pressure to obtain a conviction caused an officer of the law to bend the rules that many years ago.’

4[with object]Direct or devote (one's attention or energies) to a task.

‘Eric bent all his efforts to persuading them to donate some blankets’

[no object]‘she bent once more to the task of diverting the wedding guests’

‘Having succeeded so far the witness bent his attention to the office, when he found that a chest of drawers had been pillaged, and part of the contents packed up in a bundle that lay under the window looking into the street.’

‘Again Alex berated herself for wool gathering, and bent back to the task at hand.’

‘She was far more interested in the spiritual welfare of her children than in any material gain, and she bent her efforts to that end.’

‘The mens backs are turned to the wave, and bent to the task of rowing.’

‘He bent his thoughts to see if he could pick up on Chanet's thoughts.’

‘They are ready to bend their skills and energy to every table, every serving; you will be waited on as you have never been waited on before.’

‘Then shaking his shoulders he bent his attention to the old man in the shadow of the chair.’

‘Now they are bent to the task of creating the first Nigerian pages on the university's Web server.’

‘Seeing that there would be no reasoning with the princess for the rest of the day, he bent his mind to the task of keeping power flowing into Mara.’

‘With characteristic energy he bent his efforts to the immediate development and improvement of the land, which he converted into a fine farm that he cultivated throughout his remaining days.’

‘Instead, he bent all his efforts toward becoming a fighting soldier, and succeeded.’

‘Shrugging, he found more food then bent to the task of bailing out the boat, groaning as he began.’

‘When his choice was made he bent his attention to the table.’

‘Simple experiments prove, however, that when those energies are bent to the wrong ends, there is severe backlash.’

‘All energies will now be bent to the task of reintegration and reconciliation.’

‘For several years he bent his efforts to the building of a railroad through the County.’

‘With a mental shrug he bent his thoughts to the serious changes lying ahead.’

‘For these reasons, he bent his efforts to implement a plan to transform music into a well-loved and respected art.’

‘James being freed by the peace from all other cares, bent his attention to the conclusion of a matrimonial alliance, which he had during the last year been attempting.’

‘He now bent all his efforts to carry into execution a project designed for the sons of the wealthy planters of Louisiana, with whom he was an unbounded favourite.’

‘For now I'm going to get a nice light dinner on the table, open a bottle of wine and spend the rest of the evening with Mark. 16 years ago today he got down on bended knee and asked me to marry him.’

‘After asking her father's permission, he got down on bended knee at the top of the Eiffel Tower and presented her with a diamond engagement ring.’

‘Those responsible should be begging for forgiveness on bended knees instead of behaving in this way.’

‘Tom, a photographer and residential developer, made the proposal on bended knee in the sand at sunset with turquoise waters lapping the beach.’

‘Whether Galileo was actually tortured or merely threatened with torture by the Inquisition is still a matter of conjecture but the fact remains that he was forced to recant his scientific findings on bended knee.’

‘He is one through whom the King of heaven makes his plea and implores on bended knee, with all his soul, that you be reconciled to this great King.’

‘I've known him for two and a half years and he proposed to me on bended knee, at his mother's house.’

‘I wish my future fiance would propose to me on bended knee, in a location that's special to both of us, preferably with us both dressed up.’

‘Before the start of the race yesterday afternoon he went down on bended knee and - witnessed by hundreds of punters - asked Wendy to spend the rest of her life with him.’

‘Being the gentleman he is Tom even went down on bended knee to propose to his bride-to-be.’

‘It was in the year of forty three when George and Elizabeth took their vows on bended knees.’

‘During plague, drought and famine, he will appear before her throne on bended knee and plead for her forgiveness.’

‘‘I want you all to know that the nation this day is on bended knee in prayer for the people whose lives were lost here, the workers who work here, for the families,’ he said.’

‘Don't vary the amount or be tempted to give advances even if they come to you on bended knees.’

‘He said he would ask council on bended knee to delay the move until a permanent site could be found.’

‘The 60-year-old singer got down on bended knee, popped the question and produced a diamond engagement ring at the Eiffel Tower during a romantic break in Paris.’

‘MPs have to swear allegiance to the Queen before they can take their seats, while those joining the privy council - a requirement for all cabinet ministers - have to do so in person, on bended knee, before the Queen herself.’

‘‘I begged him on bended knee to give me a job, although he kept saying he couldn't afford to employ anyone,’ she recalls.’

‘They had screamed for mercy on bended knees but to no avail.’

‘Going to the U.N. on bended knee to get official U.N. sanction and peacekeeping support is one answer.’

Kneeling, especially when pleading or showing great respect.

‘did he propose on bended knee?’

‘Before the start of the race yesterday afternoon he went down on bended knee and - witnessed by hundreds of punters - asked Wendy to spend the rest of her life with him.’

‘I begged him on bended knee to give me a job, although he kept saying he couldn't afford to employ anyone.’

‘Those responsible should be begging for forgiveness on bended knees instead of behaving in this way.’

‘After asking her father Graham's permission, he got down on bended knee at the top of the Eiffel Tower and presented her with a diamond engagement ring.’

‘He continued to drive slightly further down the road, while Clive continued to drive him round the bend by finding fault with every possible camping place.’

‘She has gone completely around the bend.’

‘Anyway, all that click, click, clicking would drive me round the bend.’

‘The week has just entered the early hours of Monday morning and he is driving his unfortunate wife, Victoria, round the bend.’

‘Something must be going on with her privately thats driving her around the bend.’

‘So one possible answer to the question of whatever happened to intellectuals is that many became postmodernists, and have driven everybody else - as intellectuals always have - round the bend.’

‘What drove me round the bend about places like that Club is that people would be talking to you but looking over your shoulder to see if there was anyone more important in.’

‘But hypocrisy really drove her around the bend - it so easily legitimized cruel ignorance and bad faith.’

‘I briefly wondered if one of his men had gone round the bend, then the penny dropped, and I realised it must be Pat come to take the sheep away.’

‘We are at our wits' end with our 13-year-old son, whose behaviour is driving us round the bend.’

‘I was glad that they didn't think I was round the bend.’

‘You can't really blame me because I'm round the bend.’

‘The newspaper recently reported that the Formula One testing was sending local residents round the bend over claims the noise was ‘hellish’.’

‘The impression nevertheless vividly remains of someone going around the bend as a result of his staring too long at the face of evil.’

‘Some of his escapades almost drove me around the bend.’

‘It's the little things that really drive me around the bend, though.’

‘It is, but why let that drive you to drink, solitude or round the bend?’

‘Modern communications are meant to be more efficient, yet the systems seem to have been designed to drive those who seek help round the bend.’

‘The constant ‘thump-thump’ of a contractor's piledriver has been driving residents round the bend.’

‘It's defeated many aspirants and driven a few completely around the bend.’

mad, insane, out of one's mind, deranged, demented, not in one's right mind, certifiable, of unsound mind, crazed, lunatic, unbalanced, unhinged, unstable, disturbed, frenzied, raving, distraught, mad as a hatter, mad as a march hare

non compos mentis

crazy, mental, off one's head, out of one's head, off one's nut, nuts, nutty, nutty as a fruitcake, off one's rocker, not right in the head, not quite right in the head, raving mad, bats, batty, bonkers, cuckoo, loopy, loony, bananas, loco, dippy, screwy, touched, gaga, doolally, up the pole, not all there, out to lunch, not right upstairs, away with the fairies

barmy, crackers, barking, barking mad, round the twist, off one's trolley, as daft as a brush, not the full shilling, two sandwiches short of a picnic

Origin

Pronunciation:

bend

Main definitions of bend in English

bend2

noun

An ordinary in the form of a broad diagonal stripe from top left (dexter chief) to bottom right (sinister base) of a shield or part of one.

‘Something bothersome about this particular image is the way in which the bend alternates direction to become a bend sinister.’

‘For example a single charge all alone on a shield is assumed to be in the center. If there is a Bend on the shield, however, it would need to be noted whether the charge appeared on the Bend itself, in the upper portion, or the lower portion.’

‘This device of a fountain appears in the arms of the family, where six wells, which form the source of the River Stour appear with a bend on the shield.’

‘The three wavy bends on the shield are the three main rivers in the district.’

‘Its own name is of heraldic origin and refers to the three roses in a bend on the shield of the counts of Wasserburg.’

Origin

Late Middle English: from Anglo-Norman French bande, Old French bende flat strip.